Covid-19 LIVE: Daily testing capacity has crossed 1.17 mn, says Health Min

Coronavirus India highlights: India's total number of coronavirus cases stand at 4,208,645. Maharashtra's tally has crossed the 900,000 mark. Stay tuned for coronavirus LIVE updates

2:52 PM

South Korea reports 119 new Covid-19 cases, tally rises to 21,296.

South Korea reported 119 new coronavirus cases on Monday, raising the total number of infections to 21,296.

 

The daily caseload stayed below 200 for five straight days, but it had continued to grow in triple digits since August 14, reports Xinhua news agency. It was attributed to cluster infections in Seoul and its surrounding Gyeonggi province linked to church services and a massive rally held on August 15.

 

Of the new cases, 47 were Seoul residents, 30 from Gyeonggi and 11 were imported. Two more deaths were reported which increased the death toll to 336.

 

The total fatality rate stood at 1.58 per cent.

2:41 PM

SC seeks detailed reply on plea for elderly care amid Covid-19

The Supreme Court Monday asked states to file a detailed affidavit within four weeks on a plea seeking directions to provide masks and sanitisers for senior citizens, who are living alone, amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

 

A bench comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M. R. Shah was informed by former Union Minister and senior advocate Ashwini Kumar that the affidavits filed by states based on August 4 direction of the court lack detail on actions taken to address the issue. Kumar submitted before the bench that except Orissa and Punjab, the affidavits on record lack details.

 

On August 4, the top court had directed that all pensioners should be regularly paid pension, and states should provide them necessary medicines, masks, sanitisers and other essentials amid the ongoing pandemic.

2:29 PM

Covid-19 recoveries in India cross 3.2 mn, fatality rate drops to 1.7%

The Covid-19 recovery rate in India has risen to 77.31 per cent with 69,564 patients recuperating from the disease in 24 hours pushing the total number of recoveries to 3.25 mn, the health ministry said on Monday.

 

The case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.7 per cent, it said.

 

According to the ministry, five states are contributing 60 per cent of the total cases with Maharashtra at the top accounting for 21.6 per cent cases, followed by Andhra Pradesh with 11.8 per cent, Tamil Nadu 11 per cent, Karnataka 9.5 per cent and Uttar Pradesh 6.3 per cent.

 

Maharashtra also contributed 26.76 per cent of the active cases in the country, followed by Andhra Pradesh 11.30 per cent, Karnataka 11.25 per cent, Uttar Pradesh 6.98 per cent and Tamil Nadu 5.83 per cent. These five states combined presently contribute 62 per cent of total active cases, the ministry said.

Healthcare workers wearing a Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) kit take nasal swab samples from slum residence during coronavirus antigen testing inside a slum colony in Mumbai, on Saturday.

2:18 PM

Puducherry logs 292 new Covid-19 cases, tally reaches 17,316

Puducherry on Monday reported 292 fresh Covid-19 cases and 11 related fatalities taking the death toll to 325.

 

The 11 people who succumbed included three women, Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao told a virtual press conference.

 

The new cases took the overall tally in the union territory to 17,316 (after transfer of eight cases to Tamil Nadu).

 

Rao said the 292 positive cases were identified at the end of examination of 1,073 samples. "503 patients were discharged during the last 24 hours from hospitals," he added.

2:09 PM

Australians can get free coronavirus vaccine early 2021: Morrison

A coronavirus vaccine will likely become available to people in Australia as early as at the start of next year, Australian PM Scott Morrison has announced.

 

"Australians will gain free access to a Covid-19 vaccine in 2021 if trials prove successful," Morrison said in a statement on Monday.

 

The Australian government has reached a 1.7 billion dollar supply and production agreement with pharmaceutical companies, which will ensure that a free Covid-19 vaccine will be available progressively throughout 2021 in Australia.

2:00 PM

India's biggest Covid Care Centre in Bengaluru to be shut from Sep 15

The Covid Care Centre at the Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre here, that was touted to be the biggest such facility for the treatment of asymptomatic and mildly symptomatic patients in the country, will be shut from September 15, as it is not getting patients.

 

In an order dated September 4, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city civic body has said the decision to close the facility with a potential capacity of over 10,000 beds was taken at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister on the advise of the head of the Covid Care Care Task Force.

 

It has been decided to give the furniture brought for the said centre like- beds, mattress, pedestal fans, dustbins, water dispensers among others to government-run hostels and hospitals at free of cost.

 

The Social Welfare Department will get 2,500 furniture for its hostels, while the horticulture university hostel at Bagalkote, Minority Welfare Department hostel and the GKVK, Bengaluru will get 1,000 each.

1:49 PM

Firecracker industry suffers as Covid-19 lockdown restricts movement, orders

The upcoming Diwali festival is expected to be a dark one for the firecrackers industry at Sivakasi as nearly 30 per cent of the production is already down and new orders are being rarely placed. The recent order by the Supreme Court for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the use of barium nitrate in the manufacturing of firecrackers added more pressure.

 

Sivakasi accounts for nearly 90 per cent of the country's firecracker production. Around 1,070 firecracker units, mostly medium and small scale, are located in the district. About 300,000 workers are directly employed by the industry and another 500,000 workers are in the allied sectors.

 

"For Vinayaka Chaturthi good quantities of firecrackers would be sold in Maharashtra. But this year it did not happen due to lockdown,” said Rajendra Raja, Vice President, Indian Fireworks Manufacturers’ Association. READ MORE...

1:40 PM

Uttar Pradesh CM Adityanath inaugurates new Covid-19 hospital in Gorakhpur

1:30 PM

Covid Podcast: India overtakes Brazil by total cases, Metro services resume

After a 169-day Covid-19 hiatus, the Delhi Metro resumed services with curtailed operations of the Yellow Line on Monday. The Yellow Line connects Samaypur Badli in Delhi to the HUDA City Centre in Gurugram.

Click here to listen to the podcast

1:13 PM

Rajasthan reports 10 more coronavirus deaths, over 700 fresh cases

Rajasthan reported 10 more deaths due to Covid-19 on Monday, taking the state's toll to 1,147, a health department bulletin said.

 

The state also reported 722 fresh cases of the disease. The total number of people infected by Covid-19 in the state now stands at 91,678, of which 15,562 are undergoing treatment.

 

The new cases were registered in various districts, including Jaipur (108), Jodhpur (81), Kota (78), Alwar (64), Bikaner (38), Bundi (33), Ajmer (32) and Rajsamand (three). Read on...

1:06 PM

Telangana coronavirus update: More recoveries than new cases in 24 hours

Telangana recorded more COVID-19 recoveries than new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, with the daily increase in cases dropping due to lesser tests, officials said on Monday.

 

In all, 2,711 patients recovered while 1,802 new cases were detected, pushing the state's total tally to 1,42,771.

 

 

Nine more people succumbed to the virus, taking the state's death toll to 895. Read on...

1:00 PM

Odisha coronavirus update: State record single-day spike of 3,861 cases

Odisha reported a record single-day spike of 3,861 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the state's tally to 1,27,832 cases, the Health Department said on Monday.

 

Ten more Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours took Odisha's death toll to 556, the department said.

 

The state now has 30,919 active cases and 96,364 recoveries. Read on...

12:49 PM

After Arjun Kapoor, Malaika Arora tests positive for Covid-19

Malaika Arora has tested positive for the coronavirus and is quarantining at home.

12:33 PM

India’s 5-day moving average of daily rate of addition to total coronavirus cases stands at 2.2%

12:32 PM

Coronavirus update: Karnataka has reported 9,319 cases to take its tally to 398,551